Common Solemnity
by Heather Giesbrecht
Summary: It was Borin who delivered the news. Gimli/Loki. Part seven of the Common Series. Chapter 3 - Common Memory posted. In-progress.
1. Common Solemnity

_Author's Note:_ Since there aren't many Southron/Haradrim names known, I made one up. While Noro is based off of the Japanese Noborou.

* * *

**Common Solemnity**

Ten years after Frodo and Gandalf had left Arda. Ten years after they had met the Easterling Noro and Southron Korwulf or Kor the news came. It was Borin who entered the hallway off the smithy where he, Noro and Loki had been discussing getting Eomer's permission to make a new horn for the Deep, in case the old one became ruined.

Brown-clad Noro who faced the hallway's entrance was the first to spot Borin. When he turned around he saw the grave look on his cousin's face. What had happened ? An accident in Erebor ? The Iron Hills ?

Just as solemnly Borin delivered the news. "My Lord Gimli, your father...is dead. Three days ago he died in his sleep."

Not Gimli or even Loki, but Noro was the first to speak, "Gloin is dead ?"

His breathing and heartbeat seemed too loud in his ears and he felt Loki's arms slid around his waist as he fell. Dim thoughts swirled in his head: Noro and Father had gotten along well after Father had asked Noro about the Easterlings.

**Flashback**

Gimli leaned back against Loki patting Kyrie's black mane. Found himself looking at Noro who rode beside Father. The Eastlering was mainly silent, they hadn't even heard Noro introduce himself until they'd left the Shire.

Father asked, "Noro, what is your home like, your people ?"

The now healthier looking, olive-skinned man answered, "My people are of the horse tribes who live on the plains. Like your Rohrrim we are very close to our horses."

"Hmm, Kor did you say that you were half-dwarf ? However did you become friends with Noro ?"

Kor, who rode behind Noro on a grey pony, stated, "Yes, I am from the Orocarni Mountains. The Da- Sauron brought Noro and I together when my party was attacked by a far ranging mumakil. I would have died from trampling had Noro not pulled me onto his horse." Kor's tone when the last was said was quite fond, then the Southron looked embarrassed.

Loki spurred Kyrie ahead across the Rohrric plains as the rise to Helm's Deep came into sight.

**End Flashback**

How could Father be dead ? It seemed too easy for Father to have died in his sleep, it wasn't possible. Father who had taught him how to wield his axes with Grandfather's help. Father who managed to help Uncle Oin, cousin Balin, Dwalin, Thorin and the others to reclaim Erebor. Helped him to deal with Grandfather's death.

Over his sobs, he heard Loki saying something. It was Father who had convinced him to tell Loki how he felt.

**Flashback**

He found himself staring at the pendant that Gandalf had given him. The last few times he'd gone to visit Loki had been distant. Even if he did go, how could he tell the jotun and be sure Helblindi wasn't going to break through the nearest piece of ice.

Father's hand landed on his shoulder, "I didn't raise you to give up, neither did your mother." Turned to look at Father, the same blue-eyes looking sternly back at him. "Just tell 'im, Gimli or carve him a jewel first. What's the worst that he can do ? Reject you and try to destroy his pendant so he can't come here ? If he does it's his loss that he can't see how wonderful my boy is."

The gift of a hand carven jewel or trinket to a loved one was one of ancient Dwarven tradition. The amount of time and detail put into the making signified how much that person meant to the carver. Only a few important details for a friend with many minor and important details for the one you loved. To mean that you loved everything about them. It had taken him weeks to find the right piece of emerald, weeks to get the rough carving right and months to make all the tiniest details perfect.

Mirthless laughter left his lips. "I already gave him a piece of emerald carved like a wolf, he didn't react, so I left. I chose the emerald because Loki's always wished that his eyes were green so that he'd have something different compared to the other Jotnar. Except, he already does because besides Frabauti he's the smartest jotun I've met."

White-eyebrows raised, "Maybe it was because he was too overjoyed to think of the words he wanted to say. Go on, tell him 'n if he says no you'll eventually forget about him."

Still nervous, he thanked Father and touching the pendant willed himself to Jotunheim. Loki stood beside the Lake of Blood looked up as he appeared. A soft, "Is something wrong, Gimli ?" echoing across the short distance.

When he walked up to Loki he was shocked to see that Jotunheim's Prince held the emerald wolf. Gimli answered, "No, nothing is wrong, but...why did you keep the wolf ?"

Ruby-eyes looked down at him, Loki smiling faintly stated, "You gave it to me and it's one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. You ran off before I could tell you such."

"I did not run off, earlier that day I swore to go help Borin with the gates of Minas Tirith and I'd nearly forgotten of it. Why have you been so distant lately ? Was it the carving that scared you off ?"

Loki frowned, "No, Gimli, it was not the carving. It was...it is my father is trying to push me to court those I have no wish in." The jotun crouched, those strangely beautiful eyes earnest, "They are...not like you. They seem to think that if they kill the biggest bear they can find...every single time...that it will eventually impress me. Instead it just sickens me and when I say so none of them even try to understand. Unless, they pretend to until they can boast about themselves. You do not assume or do such things. I care not that my father will not approve, I love you, Gimli."

Well, Father had said to just tell Loki, "I love you too, Loki."

**End Flashback**

Without Father, he would've just ignored it and dismissed Loki's distance as the jotun taking up Helblindi's 'bug' attitude towards him.

Borin asked, "Noro, did you wish to come with me to arrange for the journey to Erebor ?"

Noro, "Of course, I will. I am happy that it was not Sauron who took him."

Noro walked past them and Loki's forehead pressed against his as he sniffled. Loki was crying too or he would've been if they hadn't been freezing on his cheeks.

Ice spread under them as he heard the jotun's words, "I-I'm so sorry, Gimli. I d-don't know what to say, but he was a great dwarf. I wish my father could have been more like Gloin." A wavering smile, "Do you remember when we went to see your parents for the first time ? I swear I thought he was going to kill me."

Weak, rough, laughter left his lips as he remembered it.

**Flashback**

Once again, he was watching Loki frost over from nerves, except this time they stood before his family's rooms in Erebor.

Loki asked, "Gimli, what if he does not think I deserve you ? I mean, what are we going to do ? Are we really going to take the dwarves who wish to leave and go ? It isn't right. You have met mine, no matter what I think now, I should meet yours."

Gimli shook his head and replied, "He likes you enough that he persuaded me to ask after you in the first place. The only thing that he can not like about you now is your appearance."

Normally, Loki was far more rational than this. Well, it was not as if he could blame Loki as he'd been startled to meet Frabauti in Jotunheim. That had truly been an awkward meeting.

A nod and deep breath from Loki later, he opened the doors to the twenty foot wide rooms. The rooms were dark-grey mountain stone and what bit of furniture wasn't carved from the mountain had come from the surrounding area, mainly Dale. Father and Mother sat on the couch at the far side of the room directly across from them.

Mother, in a grey-tunic and pants, her greying black-hair and beard loose, was the first to get up from the dark-green couch. She greeted, "Welcome home, Gimli. You finally get to go on a quest of your own and end up saving even more then your father did. Not only that, but you finally met someone that you actually like. It is good to finally meet you, Loki. I am Brokkr, Gimli's mother."

The confusion that flitted over Loki's face was brief, he didn't blame his love for feeling that. Even for himself it was hard to impossible to distinguish male and female dwarves most days. Still at Mother's words Loki relaxed further...then Father, with a glare on his face, rose to stop before Loki with his axe in hand.

For once Loki actually looked scared of something shorter than him. An echoing crash as Father took Loki's feet out from under him with the axe's haft. Ice glittered in the lantern-light as Loki unsheathed an ice-dagger and slashed at the axe. Father blocked the strike, blinked impassively down at Loki...before smiling.

"It's good to meet ya, Loki. How's the Insulting Icicle ?"

"Still annoying, one would think being a jotun would make one more...see through instead of stubborn."

Father chuckled and helped Loki get up. "Stubborn's a good thing when it comes to any dwarf much less our Gimli."

**End Flashback**

His voice thick, Gimli found himself saying, "I-I know, N-Noro is right, at least, Father died how he wanted not by someone else. H-he's with Mahal and the others now."

Slowly, numbly, he rose and made his way out of the glittering caves. The light reflecting off all the jewels and metals it seemed far too bright with the news he'd gotten. The dwarves moved aside as he passed, they looked in shock as well. Most of their families had grown up knowing his family. It was why they had come with him to the Glittering Caves to prove to Father that they could claim something too.

Ana slammed into his chest, tears stained her beard as she demanded, "Tell me it isn't so, Cousin ! Tell me that my father lies, tell me that he lives."

"I wish that I could Ana, but I can not. He is dead for the three days passed."

How odd was it that Ana could summon grief wails when she could remember him for only seventeen years, yet he'd known Father his whole life and couldn't manage one. If they wanted to make it in time for Father's entombment they would have to leave tonight.


	2. Common Worry

**Common Worry**

The fire flickered as Gimli stared into it, Loki was staring at him...again. Yes, he loved Loki, but the constant staring and worrying was annoying. He got up and with a glare stomped away across the short-grass plains past Borin, Ana and the edge of camp. Even when he was well out of sight of the fire, it didn't feel like far enough. Yet, if he went too far it would just lead to Loki getting more upset.

All the damned worrying was part of why they'd fought all the other times. Why couldn't Loki just let him be for once ? Why could Laufey not have died instead ? Hardly anyone cared about Laufey besides Frabauti. In the back of his mind he knew he was being irrational, but at that moment he didn't care that he'd shouted at Loki earlier. That he'd also called Laufey and Jotunheim, "Ring-wraith loving, ice-worshipping sons of whores !" Along with much worse things.

Glowering at the grass, he sat down and slammed a fist into it. It wasn't fair that Laufey who had only done sporadic good over thousands of years lived and his father who'd done more good in the past two hundred fifty-some years had to die so soon. Impulsively, he reached into a small, near invisible pouch on his belt and pulled out a small chunk of white metal. The mithril glowed in the fading starlight and he readied to throw it away. If only Father had just kept the damned chunk of 'lucky' mithril, instead of giving it to him, this never would have happened.

**Flashback**

Father pulled him aside as Loki followed the dwarves who would accompany them out the gates. A secretive look about them before Father pulled something out of his pocket. Even in its rough shape he knew it was a piece of mithril.

That hand extended to him as Father stated, "Your Great-Grandfather Farin found it in the Grey Mountains after nearly falling into a chasm as a little one. Eventually, he gave it to my father when the War of the Dwarves and Orcs came. It saved your grandfather's life when its glowing in the sun distracted an orc long enough so he could kill it. I received it after you were born and now...I think that it is time for you to have it. You are going to need all the luck you can get trying to tell Borin the second what to do, after all."

Slowly, he reached out to take and after staring at it in awe for a moment, pocketed it. "Heh, cousin Borin will listen to me, Father. Even if he does not little Ana will persuade him for me or maybe I'll just give him this."

Another stern look, "You must not tell anyone you have this unless you intend to give it to them or the luck will fade. Whomever you choose as heir it should go to them."

**End Flashback**

His fingers spasmed and clenched tightly around the mithril. What was he doing ? How could he even think of throwing it away ? Ashamed, he gently put the mithril piece back into his belt pouch. Whether he were exhausted enough to think he lay awake all night, one second, his eyes were open and the next he was waking up. Kyrie's black mane pressed against his cheek and as he lifted his head patchy clouds in an otherwise clear sky greeted him.

Loki's arms were resting on either side of his waist as a clear-nailed hand held both reins. Embarrassment filled him as he remembered his actions from yesterday evening and last night. It was only worry that had made Loki act as he had. His love just didn't want to lose him too.

Gimli wiped the sleep from his eyes and cleared his throat. "Erm...I'm sorry for insulting you, Laufey and Jotunheim. I never should 'ave said any of it."

"Worry not, you weren't thinking clearly and I was bothering you. I forgive you, even though it is both of our faults. I apologize for worrying too much. I love you."

The open plains, dips and tiny hills stretched before them utterly desolate. With yesterday's news, it felt important to say, "It was. I forgive you and I love you too."

Lips brushed against his hair as Ana rode up to them on a grey pony. She leaned up and passed him a few pieces of bacon, bread and a flask of water. Her eyes were red-rimmed again. As he ate and drank it still didn't seem real, it probably wouldn't until they stood before Father's tomb. Hnn, he wasn't even there to help make it, at least, Mother would be.

Heard himself sigh, "Why couldn't I be a jotun, Loki ? If I was then Grandfather and Father would still be alive. With how much you can shrug off perhaps even Uncle Oin and cousin Balin would be as well."

Loki took the flask from him to take a drink, then answered. "Gloin would likely not have existed then nor you. Most Jotnar only have children when they are of age at three hundred years."

Three hundred years ? Loki had been of age for roughly...fifteen years by now. For him Loki was a long relationship at the end of a short life, but for Loki it was a short relationship at the start of a long life.

Borin on a donkey came up on their other side. "Gimli, are we going to around or through Mirkwood ? Uh, what'd they call it now...erm, Greenwood, yeah, Greenwood."

"It'd be easier to go around the north edge and straight to Erebor. We won't have to detour along the inner edge to the forest road then. I may be friends with Legolas, but I will not deal with that damned elf king again unless I have no choice."

He'd met Legolas father and, like Laufey, they had left a bad impression upon each other.

The darker auburn-haired dwarf nodded, "Aye, I don't want to either."

It would have made it harder to trace the route that Father and the others had taken to Erebor. Instead, they would cut across the southern undeep, the Brown Lands then up past Greenwood and the Long Lake. Worry filled him that they wouldn't reach it on time, they had to arrive on time, they had to.


	3. Common Memory

**Common Memory**

Gimli repressed a sigh as the fishermen of Dale, who crowded on the dock-edge, stared at Loki. Of course, the fact that Loki was with them had attracted a crowd. The jotun still liked to differentiate himself from an orc. Opinions varied as to whether it worked, but Loki had made quite the impressive armour. If it weren't opaque ice, he would've said it was of dwarven make.

Said armour ? Modeled after a bristling, snarling wolf. The helmet framed those ruby-eyes perfectly and Loki's hair was in a loose pony-tail the tips of which had frosted over. The helmet flowed into ruffled-fur pauldrons, gorget and then ended in a breast-plate. It was almost disappointing that Loki hadn't decided to give Kyrie ice-armour. Wryly, it made him wonder if the citizens thought Loki was an ice-elf.

Their group continued unimpeded as Loki dismounted from Kyrie. If they hadn't thought it just barely, they would now as Loki took Kyrie's reins and walked onto the lake which froze before the jotun in a thin, deep line towards Erebor. With his legs clenched against Kyrie's sides as the horse walked forward, he leaned over to look down. Fish were swimming confusedly up and down Loki's ice path. As he looked back past Ana and Borin, he saw the ice melting behind Borin's donkey. Perhaps Loki had merely felt like doing something dramatic to relieve the stress ?

Minutes of traveling over bobbing ice and a jump onto the path later, Kyrie stopped five feet from the open gates. He took a deep breath as he saw Mother and cousin Dwalin waiting. The last time he'd seen Dwalin the older, much wrinkled and bald dwarf's beard had already been white, but now Mother's was as well. Dwalin still wore his dark-green cloak over a pale-brown shirt and black-pants. Mother wore a black and white cloak made of badger-fur, which had cemented the reason for her name being what it was, over dark-green clothes.

Like normal, Loki helped him to dismount. The ice armour melted soaking the soft black-pants that Loki wore for riding, but the frosted hair-tips stayed.

Mother stared at him for a moment and whispered, "Well, don't you look just like Gloin."

Almost involuntarily, Dwalin said, "Long as he doesn't look like Groin."

Followed by both Ana and Loki quipping, "Nor a hairless one."

Throughout the journey their shared solemnity had hardly broken. Now, however everyone burst into almost hysterical laughter.

When Dwalin had calmed he smiled and stated, "Now that is a joke that Gloin would have made. If you'd come by the shore-line we would have had to start without you all."

Borin muttered, "Ya better be kiddin' Dwalin, we overslept yesterday morning and rode all night to g't 'ere on time."

As they made their way inside waiting guards took their mounts and the gates swung closed. Part of him wondered if it hadn't been all the traveling between Erebor and the Glittering Caves that had contributed to Father's death seeing how old he'd been. As they made their way down to the burial chambers, he couldn't help remembering the talk he and Loki'd had about funerals a few years ago.

**Flashback**

The first flakes of light snow fluttered down from the grey sky. He and Loki lay on their backs on the grass above the Helm's Deep bowl.

Loki asked, "What are Dwarven funerals like Gimli ?"

It left him to muse for a bit, those who weren't dwarves themselves normally were not permitted such knowledge. Except, Loki was the only person he had really loved and also the only one who was not a dwarf.

Gimli ran a hand through his beard as he decided on his answer. "It's not much different than a normal funeral really. All ya do is if there's family alive when the person dies they help carve the tomb, the words 'n all that. From when it's discovered up until the funeral there's a period o' mourning in your own way. The actual funeral after their put in the tomb with a favoured weapon and a song the others tell favourite stories, memories 'n such. How da the Jotnar do funerals, Loki ?"

Loki lifted a hand and flicked his wrist, in response the snow increased to a visible flurry. A few flakes caught of the white-blue tongue before Loki said, "After Jotunheim was created from the mist and darkness by the Coldness, so was my five great's grandfather Ymir. We are the Coldness children, the ice itself and to that we wish to return. We are frozen or if that is not possible sunk into water to return that way. Like with the dwarves you remember them - the memories good and bad, the tattoos they earned and the jokes they told."

**End Flashback**

Mother was in the middle of saying, "- Wished he'd been able to see you all."

Loki replied, "Had we but known earlier we would have left far sooner." as the doors approached.

On either side of the doors were two giant, onyx, dwarf carvings while the grey doors themselves were carved with golden runes. Loki pulled open the doors and tiny squares of sunlight fell across thousands of tombs as they entered the hundred foot tall vaults. On both sides of the rooms were the deathbeds. Their row of tombs was a continuation of one of the oldest and his eyes flicked to Grandfather's tomb which Father's lay beside. Father's tomb was grey, plain stone and the lid lay beside it. Borin, Ana stood on the right side and Loki on the left side of the tomb.

His and Mother's footsteps echoed solemnly as Mother led the way down the right aisle to Father's deathbed. It didn't seem like Father was dead, except for the fact that he was paler, he looked asleep; albeit with perfect hair and beard. Father wore his dark-red leather armour and an eighty year old battle axe lay in his hand. Instinctively, his hand traveled to his own, Father had given it to him before he'd left Rivendell.

Fathered had told him to, "Think not only of the history it already has, but think as your own. You will do many great things with it if only you will let it save your life as it did so many of our family members - your great-great grandfather Borin, your grandfather, me."

The denial left him in the higher-pitched wail that had refused to come days ago. "No ! No !" As he collapsed before it, his hand reached out touch Father's other folded hand. Denial could be no more as he felt the same disembodied cold as in the Paths of the Dead.

Just like his near-drowning in Jotunheim he watched himself - this time getting up and picking up Father's body with Mother. It was Mother who started the old Khuzdul death song as they proceed back to the tomb. Perhaps it was only the location, but it sounded as if other voices besides his, Dwalin, Borin and Ana's joined in. When they placed Father in the tomb he noticed the jewel that Mother had carved - an onyx raven detailed to the last feather and talon-scale. It was Ana, Borin and Loki who slid the lid on top. He noticed that it read: Here lies Gloin son of Groin who was of Thorin's Company.

In the silence of the song's ending, Borin asked. "Do you remember Gimli when you, Gloin and Loki came back to the Caves with Korwulf and Noro ?"

**Flashback**

Dark-brown haired Kor wondered, "Do you think, Master Gloin, that they will let us in ? We are enemies after all." as their group approached the doors.

Father scratched at his arm and grumbled, "Ya are good people who realized yer mistakes is who you are, Korwulf. You're much my enemy as Loki is 'n Loki looks far more like an enemy than you do and they accepted him. So, why not you too ?"

Noro answered, "Unlike Loki we worshipped Sauron. We were taught to think you were barbarians that you were like animals to be put out of your misery. It was at that battle outside the White City that Kor and I realized we were wrong."

Kor nodded, "I didn't know who he was at the time, but it was only when I saw that my kinsmen were going to try to kill another dwarf that I realized we were the barbarians. That was when I personally deserted and killed them, that is another reason that I need this job."

The news that Kor had saved him surprised him, but also let him cast away the lingering doubts that he'd still harboured about the decision.

**End Flashback**

Gimli nodded, "Aye, I remember that. Mother, do you remember..."

So, for an hour they told of jokes and of their memories of Father. From Mother's first meeting with Father to the time he'd, accidentally, hit Father in the groin with a training axe to Dwalin's memories of growing up with Father and Loki's still hilarious first meeting.

When the story-telling was over, Loki crouched beside the tomb. Loki intoned, "While I knew you, Gloin, you were more my father than my actual father ever was. Y-you accepted me for who and what I was, you showed me what my father's love should have felt like all these years. We may never meet again, but I wish that we would. I am not one of the High Priests, but I am able to do this: Gloin Groinson in life many times you showed courage and bravery befitting one of Jotunheim's greatest warriors. For these acts, I, Loki Laufeyson, Crown Prince of Jotunheim, do call thee Gloin Jotson - may the ice be ever clear, common and thick as you stand before the Coldness itself."

Ice swept over Father's tomb as Loki finished the words and rose.

He almost thought he heard Father say, "D'ya hear that, Father ? Heh, I've got something you, Oin 'n Thorin don't."

Then Grandfather chuckled, "Aye, I heard that. Now stop bragging or I'll get your grandfather to tell ya 'bout that time he counted all them river stones again."

"Don't you dare or I'll get Grandmother !"

"No, ya wouldn't."

"I would too."

While they filed out of the burial vaults, it made him chuckle to himself. It was a good day after all.


End file.
